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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>> On Behalf Of Keith Henson via extropy-chat<br><br>Subject: [ExI] it's your choice</p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><<a href="mailto:spike@rainier66.com"><span style='color:windowtext;text-decoration:none'>spike@rainier66.com</span></a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I do take the notion lightly, for I am watching a time when the concept of race is being stretched beyond recognition. It used to be pretty simple. But now, it really isn't.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>For instance...<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>We have a system for rating local schools. It uses test scores, social factors, all the usual stuff, but it takes into account race. A two schools with all the same numbers in every category can raise its rating by claiming more racial minorities in its demographics. It wasn't that big of a deal really until Mr. Musk set up his car factory and imported Indians as fast as he could get them. Some Indians have very dark skin. Naturally, they began to claim to be black, in order to raise the local school's rating, which dramatically improves real estate values. I am not kidding: if Mr. Srinivasa Subramanian comes in claiming to be black, wellllll... he is that. Who gets to tell him he is not?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>GreatSchools breaks down student performance into six categories. I took this from their site:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><img border=0 width=292 height=326 style='width:3.0416in;height:3.3958in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D609F6.ECC5F750"><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>They don’t really know what to do when a Pakistani guy shows up speaking flawless Spanish and claiming to be Hispanic. They don’t really question it. Plenty of Vietnamese are claiming to be part Filipino, and they identify as that. So… who gets to tell them no?<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>Answer: no one does. In those cases for sure, the school takes their word for how they identify, and the school’s rating goes up, and real estate values go up. All ya hafta do is log on to Zillow.com to see some dramatic results from creative identity.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>>…I think you mentioned your mixed-race ancestry was 5 generations back.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>I am more Neanderthal (different species!) than you are mixed from that event… Keith<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>The Neanderthal business is controversial. There hasta be a pile of money to be made off it however. We could invent a system for excusing much of male behavior, create kind of a license or something, provide an excuse for the stuff we boys do: we are part cave man. That actually sounds quite appealing: a kind of specialized version of Burning Man, but it is Neanderthal parties. We temporarily put away our cell phones, FitBit watches, sense of propriety, show up in animal skins, eat lotsa red meat, act on our basest instincts, that sorta thing.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText>spike<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>